Past and Present
by The Cashew Nuts
Summary: Katie Bell receives a surprise visitor when she is in St Mungo's recovering from the cursed necklace in HBP. KBOW.


**AN:** This takes place while Katie Bell is in St Mungo's after touching the cursed necklace, HBP

**Disclaimer:** I do not own these characters, all I own is the plot.

* * *

The ward on the ground floor, at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Maladies, was empty save for two people. A well muscled young man, and a girl with blonde hair. They were both asleep, the man slouching in an uncomfortable straight backed wooden chair, and the girl lying prostrate on a hospital bed. 

An insect buzzed outside the window, where unknown to them, hundreds of muggles walked past the hospital, thinking it was just an old department store.

The girl in the bed stirred, and opened her eyes. The first thing Katie Bell noticed when she woke was the smell. It was this that alerted her to the fact that she was in a hospital. However, being muggle born, she was unused to the complete, ruling silence, for in muggle hospitals, there was always a multitude of different noises echoing throughout the wards.

Katie Bell was confused. It looked like a hospital, and it smelt like a hospital, but, the problem was, she couldn't actually remember getting hurt. Frowning, she gazed around the room, looking at the assorted cards and flowers stacking the shelves, until her eyes alighted on the flying miniature broomstick busily tearing round in circles by itself. Now, that wasn't something you found in an ordinary muggle hospital. But then, she reasoned, neither was the tall, handsome young man draped uncomfortably over a much too small chair.

"Oliver?" Katie was again confused. Wasn't Harry Potter her Quidditch Captain now? Or, had she perhaps been hit so hard in the head by a bludger that she had dreamed

that, and Oliver Wood was indeed still her Quidditch Captain?

The object of her musing, sat up, blinking slowly, and looking around blearily. When he saw her a flash of something indecipherable flashed across his features.

"Katie, you're awake."

'No, really?' Katie attributed that particularly astute observation to the fact that Oliver Wood had only just woken up, and as such, did not say anything in return.

"I'm sorry Katie, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you, I just got in from training; we're working really hard to win the finals this year."

Katie looked at the Puddlemere United badge on his robes, and realised that, in fact, Harry Potter was her Captain, and Oliver Wood had left Hogwarts nearly three years ago.

He continued, the familiar manic spark glinting in his eyes. "The team's got this great new playing technique-" he cut himself off, grimacing. "Sorry, about that. How inconsiderate. There you are lying in a hospital bed, and I'm going on about finals. How are you?"

Katie smiled. She had missed very much him the last three years. "It's okay. I haven't seen _that_ in a while. I feel fine, but, I can't actually remember what happened to get me in here. By the way, where is here?"

Oliver laughed. "St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Maladies. Ground floor. What's the last thing you remember?"

"Going into the toilet's at The Three Broomsticks." She looked at him expectantly.

"What? I don't know anything."

"Oh." She screwed her forehead up in concentration. "Not to be rude, but what are you doing here? I mean, a famous Quidditch player coming to see a mere schoolgirl?"

"Can't an old team mate come and see another?"

Katie raised an eyebrow. Oliver grinned.

"Okay. Well, Fred and George Weasely told me if I ever played professionally, they had to be allowed to come and watch my first final. While I was there giving them the tickets, they told me you were in hospital. So-"

"So you came to visit me. That's nice." She smiled gently. Oliver looked down at his feet shyly and ran a hand through his hair. Katie remembered that particular action fondly.

"So," he said decisively, "what's happening with Quidditch at Hogwarts? You Captain?"

"No, Harry's Captain."

Oliver looked confused. "Harry Potter? But, you're older than him, you should be Captain."

Katie smiled again. "No, He's lots better than I could be at captaining. I admit, I was a little annoyed at first, but then I realised I'm better at _helping_ him captain."

Oliver chuckled a little, eyes dancing. "Helping."

"Yeah, we finally got democracy in the Quidditch team. No more dictatorships." Katie said mischievously. Oliver however, frowned a little.

"Was I a bad Captain?"

"What? No! You were great! You led us to winning the cup again."

"Hmmm…I think I'd do things differently now."

Katie was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. This was not the same Oliver Wood that had left Hogwarts three years ago. He was more considerate now, less unrealistic. His manner now, was like the day that she had truly seen him as more than just a Captain and friend. It had been a few weeks before the end of the year, just before he was to graduate.

* * *

_(Three years previously)_

_Katie pulled her hair out of her face after the end of her charms exam, and made her way down the corridor. She was seconds away from turning into the hall that would take her back to Gryffindor Tower, when a well known voice shouted her name._

"_Katie!"_

_She looked over her shoulder to see her Quidditch Captain, seventh year, Oliver Wood._

"_I was thinking-" he started,_

"_Oliver, we've won the cup, we don't need to practise anymore." Katie said jokingly._

"_What? Oh. No. of course not, that wasn't what I was going to say."_

"_It wasn't?" Katie feigned disbelief._

"_No. Come in here." He guided her into an empty classroom._

_She turned to see him looking nervous and a bit dumbstruck. _

"_Oliver? Is something wrong?"_

"_No." his face relaxed into an easy smile. "It's just I um, I wanted to tell someone this, and I trust your opinion."_

"_Oliver." Katie said warningly._

"_Yes, sorry. At our last few games of the season, there was a scout here from Puddlemere United. I just spoke to him, and they want to hire me as a reserve keeper, as soon as I've finished school." _

"_Wow, Oliver, that's fantastic!" Katie was shocked, and very proud of her Captain._

"_Is it though? Straight out of school, it seems a bit rushed, doesn't it?"_

_Katie considered her answer carefully. "Oliver, you told me once that Quidditch was what you wanted to do. You love it."_

"_I just think that I might be missing something vital."_

"_Like what?"_

"_Like…I don't know." He started pacing. Katie watched him for a moment, before putting out a hand and catching him by the arm._

"_Why don't you try it? If you don't like it, there's no rule saying that you have to do it forever."_

_Oliver looked down at her. Looking into his eyes, Katie shivered from what she saw. She suddenly became very aware of the fact that her hand was still holding onto his arm. For a long moment they stood, just looking at each other. Finally, Oliver said softly. "You're right. Thankyou." He did not move however._

_Suddenly, he looked down at her hand as if confused by it's presence on his arm. Katie quickly pulled away. _

"_Katie, there was something else I wanted to ask you." He didn't look up at her._

"_Yes?" She prompted softly after a few seconds silence. _

"_Well, not really ask you, more tell you, and I thought seeing as though it's the end of the year, I should, because I might not see you for a while, and-"_

"_Oliver." She silenced his babbling._

"_Right. Sorry." He looked up at her, and again, Katie shivered. _

"_Well, it's just that," He took another deep breath, "When I leave here, I'm going to miss everything. Quidditch, the twin's jokes, maybe even Filch and Snape. Well no actually, not them." _

_Katie coughed to get him back on the right track. "Yes, okay. Katie…I'm going to miss…you especially. Not because you're such a good Quidditch player, and you helped us win the cup, or because you're beautiful or anything, which you are. Very. But, because you're…you. Obviously. You have been an amazing friend to me, and I wish I didn't have to leave because then I could stay here with you." _

_Katie closed her eyes. It was the longest speech she had ever heard him say, apart from pep talks, and she understood what he was trying to say to her. Slowly, she stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. "I'll miss you too, Oliver. So much." She whispered softly into his shoulder. She felt him wrap his arms around her tightly, and smiled as he dropped a quick kiss onto the top of her head._

* * *

"Oliver," Katie asked slowly. 

"Yeah?"

She took a deep breath, feeling as nervous as he must have on that occasion. "Before you left Hogwarts, when you were telling me about having been selected for Puddlemere United, you told me something else."

She watched recognition flood onto his face, before quickly looking down at her blanket. "You told me that you would miss…me. Ha…have you? Missed me, I mean."

As she was looking down at the bed, she missed the brief look of wonder that passed over his features. He moved to sit on her bed next to her. Gently gripping her head in his hand, he tilted her face towards him.

"Yes Katie. I have. Very much." He smiled gently at her.

Relief flooded quickly through her veins, and she let out the breath she had been holding. "Me too. I didn't realise how much I cared for you until you had already left."

"I know. I should have told you earlier than that, but I never could seem to muster the courage.

"Well, I'm glad you did, and I'm very glad you're here now." Katie reached for his hand, and leaned in closer towards him. Slowly, he pulled her face closer to his, bent his head, and, after waiting three long years, Oliver Wood and Katie Bell kissed at last.

* * *

**AN:** Yeah,I know, a bit corny, but I had to write it. I have never written for Harry Potter before, so I would love to hear what you thought of my fic.

Thankyou for reading!

Luv, Nut 1


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